Unleashing the Powers of Social + Video

The boundaries of social media are endless and the number of people you can reach through it is limitless. The impact social media has on our society can pose many disadvantages, but it presents many advantages for companies. Businesses can build an advantage over their competitors and reach a wider market than ever before by adopting creative ways to brand themselves.

Traditional marketing tactics like direct mailing, and telemarketing have all gone downwards. With advancements like ad block technologies, the world’s simply gone numb to conventional strategies businesses used to market their brand.

What’s a compelling way to win over your audience in today’s digital world? By creating unique and interesting content, of course. And what epitomizes unique and interesting content more than video?

Video is undoubtedly the most effective form of visual content in regards to driving brand engagement. The world’s riding the wave of digital transformation so it’s necessary marketers do so as well.

Businesses today don’t have the option of choosing to integrate social into their marketing strategy. Social has become ingrained in our lives, whether we like to admit it or not. If brands avoid social, they put their brand in danger of becoming virtually extinct. Mix a solid social strategy with video content and you get a dynamic powerhouse of compelling marketing magic.

Essentials for Your Social Marketing Efforts

Social may seem like a simple task for some and a daunting nightmare for others. Don’t fret, we’ve got you covered! Here are 5 basic essential tips to consider to successfully integrate video into your social media strategy today.

1. Create killer content

First things first. Content is undeniably the cornerstone, foundation, basis, whatever you want to call it, of good marketing. Without good content, your digital presence is essentially valueless. Content is what builds your brand’s reputation and credibility from the ground up. Content that taps into people’s emotions is always a hit. You want to build trust within your audience by first off, knowing what you’re talking about and knowing how to share valuable knowledge with them.

When creating videos, keep it fun and light. Videos that are too serious and up-tight will make viewers feel uncomfortable, driving them to leave. Look at the success of Buzzfeed – they’re cultured around fun and witty content that you can’t help but read, and it works incredibly well. Add some humor to your optimized videos to make your viewers feel like they’re connecting with actual people – your team, the magical brains behind the scenes!

Whether it be a tweet or a video, you don’t want to seem superficial. Whether it be in the cusp of social marketing or marketing in general, (it’s starting to get harder to differentiate the two) share knowledge that’s credible and valuable.

2. Engage with everyone

One of the most important things in driving brand awareness is listening to your audience. Read the comments and be receptive of the feedback you get. Don’t forget to reply. See what people have to say about your brand and what you have to offer.

Use social platforms to share and promote your videos and measure the engagement on it. What’s the point of creating content if it’s not performing well? Reach, impressions/ views, click-throughs, and conversions are all important KPIs to keep track of. Use these parameters to gauge whether your efforts are successful or not – you can only get better with time! If you’re not, you know there needs to be a serious wave of changes.

Share other companies’ content on social. This can be as simple as retweeting an article or mentioning a brand. Don’t be dead and dull on social media, that defeats the purpose. Instead, use social to build personality and add character to your brand image. You can build valuable relationships with other companies, whom are more likely to give back and share your content as well. People will also get the impression that you’re aware of other things going on in the world outside of your brand and that you’re not so self-absorbed. Sharing is caring!

3. Live stream

This impromptu style of video is hitting almost every social media platform, and with reason. With almost every social platform offering live streaming features like Instagram Live, Facebook Live, and Twitter’s Periscope, your brand should utilize the power of it to increase brand awareness and engagement.

People live for experiences and what better way to give it to them other than real-time, in-the-moment views into your company’s culture? You can stream behind-the-scenes moments within your company’s work space to demonstrating how to use your products. The options are endless, so get creative! Live video sharing is the new “it” trend of video and creates immense benefits for brands. However, make sure to carefully plan before you go live – there’s no second takes or do-overs.

4. Partner with influencers

Influencer marketing is soaring and this is the optimal time to hop on the bandwagon. Influencers are masters of their craft who have a loyal following, regardless of how big it is. A big segment of successful influencer marketing is achieved through video. Just go on YouTube, the holy land of influencers (and where influencer and brand partnering can easily go unnoticed) and you will see a sea of this marketing strategy.

You can significantly increase reach by partnering with the right influencers and are likely to reach more authentic leads and potential customers than traditional marketing.

5. Move fast

Trends and topics are always coming and going. Stay on top of current and relevant topics to keep up with the fast-paced momentum of social. Create unique videos around trending topics to heighten engagement and interaction. While it’s important to remember that time is of the essence, don’t forego good quality content.

Takeaway

Video and social are the cool kids on the block in 2017 and beyond. Leverage your social strategy with the powers of video today. Video is a forceful tool in driving social engagement and interaction. Capitalize on these powerful tools to boost your brand’s value and ultimately your bottom-line.

Note: This in-depth guide by MarketPro may help you start your in-house video production initiative for as low as $200. Download free

Dipping your foot in the pool of social media can be intimidating especially with how heavily it’s penetrated today. That’s why enlisting the help of a social media agency can significantly alleviate the demanding pressures. Don’t dive in blind, utilize the help of experienced experts to guide you the whole way.

Article Written by Alice Oh of Business 2 Community